


Georgie's Gift

by coldfusion9797



Category: Home and Away (TV) RPF
Genre: Ensemble Cast, First Kiss, Hook-Up, Humor, Instagram inspired, M/M, Matchmaking, RPF, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 16:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17584028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldfusion9797/pseuds/coldfusion9797
Summary: Paddy thinks his feelings for Tim are a secret, but Georgie sees what's going on, and a push from her might be just what they need.





	Georgie's Gift

**Author's Note:**

> An RPF based on a few Instagram pics posted by these guys in late 2018. Obviously, I don't know these people, and everything I have written in regards to their thoughts and feelings comes purely from my imagination. No disrespect intended.

Tim's an idiot. He might be the funniest, quirkiest and most loveable person Paddy's ever met, but still, an idiot.

They're having a party on the beach, all the cast because it's a promo thing for the show too. The idea is mates hanging out, there isn't much acting involved. There isn't anyone in the cast he doesn't get along with. 

Still, Paddy's standing back, watching Tim muck around with Jake, feeling just a little sorry for himself when Georgie comes up to him.

She parks herself beside him, watching the shenanigans too. 

He likes Georgie. She's genuine and engaging. She can be the life of the party, but she sees too. 

"He's pretty special, isn't he?"

He knows she's talking about Tim, and she's right. Paddy has honestly never met anyone like him. He's kinda weird, in a good way, one thing for sure is that Paddy never knows what he's gonna come out with next. It makes life interesting.

"Yeah," he jokes. "Jake's alright." 

She turns a wry smile on him, one he can't help returning, because he knows she knows, and that she's okay with it. 

"Acting is a funny business," she says. "We get thrown together with people in such an intense way. Sometimes it's hard to know what's real and what's circumstantial."

This is his first job, he has no point of reference, but Georgie's been in the industry a long time, he wants to ask her how to tell the difference, and how to make these relationships last beyond the work.

But Tim interrupts, comes over grinning, and pulls out his phone.

"Selfie!" he declares, positioning himself in front of Paddy. It means Georgie is behind him.

"Do we have to?" Paddy complains, they were kinda in the middle of something here.

"Yes!" Tim says, holding up his phone.  
At the same time, they both flip Tim the bird in the camera. He pulls a sad face, and snaps the pic.

"You guys are the worst," he laughs, running off again.

"Send me that!" Paddy calls after him. It might be good for Instagram.

His feelings for Tim feel real enough, but it's complicated. Dean and Colby still have a long way to go, so he can't jeopardise the solid friendship and easy working relationship they have now, for something that might not work out. Can he? 

"You regret the things you don't do, more than the ones you do," Georgie offers.

"But if it didn't work out..." 

And what if Tim doesn't feel the same? And it's not only them who would be affected by this. They are the faces of this show, if the viewers found out and didn't like it, it's not only their own jobs they'd be risking.

"If I've learned anything, it's that life's too short to spend it wondering. I got you something," she says, pulling some paper out of her bag, handing it to him.

He looks down at two plane tickets. His name on one, Tim's on the other. The destination is some place called Marree. He looks up at her, doesn't know what to say. It's too generous.

"Get out of town for a few days. Find out what you are together, away from all this."

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can," she says, pushing the tickets back towards him. "It's a gift. And a favour. I can't take too much more of the pining looks."

He knows how she feels, so fair enough. 

"Thank you."

"Oh hey," Jake says, coming over to stand with them. "You gave them to him," he grins.

"Yep," Georgie grins back. And Paddy realises Jake's in on this too.

"Who else knows?" he wonders.

"Mate," Jake says, clapping a hand to his shoulder. "Only the people with eyes."

He looks to Georgie, wanting her to deny he's been that obvious, but she just gives him a soft smile.

"Everyone is rooting for you guys. We want you to be happy." 

Now he really doesn't know what to say, to know that they are all willing to take this risk with him...

"What's going on here?" Tim quizzes, throwing himself into the middle of the group.

"Umm," Paddy says, trying to pull his thoughts back together, into something resembling cool. "Georgie got us a Christmas present." He hands the tickets over, watching carefully for Tim's reaction. His face lights up with a bright smile, and Paddy relaxes a little.

"Time away. Just the two of us..." He sounds happy about it, that's a start.

"You've both been a huge part of the show this year," Georgie says. "You guys deserve a treat."

"Thanks Georgie," Tim grins, pulling her into a tight hug, pressing a smacking kiss to her cheek. She giggles and hugs back. Paddy thinks he should have hugged her too.

"This is amazing," Tim says, turning to Paddy. "We are gonna have the best time!"

That smile does all sorts of things to Paddy, and he does the only thing he can. He smiles back.

"Yeah," he agrees, hoping it will turn out to be true. "We are."

\---

Travel is exciting. Even cramped on a bumpy, west-bound Rex flight. But the thing that makes travel great instead of good, is the company. 

Squished together on the small plane, Tim can't think of anyone he'd rather be with. Paddy's so easy to get along with, working with him these past eighteen months has been a dream.

Tim looks out the window, and Ace Ventura pops into his head.

"There's something on the wing," he quotes. "Some...thing!" 

But Paddy doesn't laugh.

"Can you not..."

It stings for a second, but then he notices the bead of sweat on Paddy's temple, the balled fists, and he realises what's going on here.

He holds out his hand.

"You can hold my hand, you big wuss."

Paddy shoots him an annoyed look, obviously working to keep a lid on the fear. But Tim doesn't think any less of him, phobias aren't a choice, they just are. So what if Paddy doesn't like flying? What he does love is that Paddy didn't let it stop him. There was never a doubt that they would take this trip.

He drops his hand on Paddy's arm, rubs little circles on his wrist until Paddy relaxes his hand enough for his fingers to unfurl.

They share a look, Paddy melting a little.  
"Seriously," Tim says, slipping his hand into Paddy's. "Squeeze as hard as you want."

Paddy shoots him a devilish look and squeezes until it hurts. 

"So that's how it is..." Tim grins back, clamping his hand tight around Paddy's.

"Truce," Paddy calls and Tim relaxes his grip, but leaves his hand exactly where it is. 

\---

"Georgie's really outdone herself," Tim says when they pull up outside the pub in their hire car. There's nothing but burrs and red dust. The 'street' is straight and flat, and you can literally see right from one end of town to the other. 

Paddy knows she wanted to get them alone, but this is extreme. 

"This is 'straya, mate," Paddy jokes, because yeah, it is kinda bad but that just means they'll need to be creative to make the most of it. 

They grab their bags, and head into the hotel. It's a country pub, full of larrikins and grey nomads. 

_Real romantic, Georgie_ , Paddy thinks as he steps up to the bar between a guy in hi-vis and another with a couple of teeth missing.

"We want to check in," he tells the lady serving drinks.

"Sure thing, darl," she says, tossing him an old, gold key. "We have the best sunsets here," she goes on to tell him.

"Make sure you go upstairs and check it out from the verandah."

"Thanks."

Upstairs, they find their room. Twin share and in need of a paint job. 

"I really thought Georgie was being sweet," Tim says, casting a dubious look around. "Should have known better..."

"Drop your bag you snob," Paddy says. "And lets go check out this verandah."

Once they navigate through the pile of boxes blocking the door, and the spider webs, the verandah is so old Paddy worries it might actually collapse under their weight.

"No one ever comes up here," Paddy surmises.

"Not enough beer," Tim concludes. He's right.

They head downstairs, knock back a couple of cold ones, and then get the idea to go exploring. They grab a six pack to go.

One block over and two blocks up, they find the general store, which it turns out sells groceries and souvenirs, as well as doubling as a cafe and the post office. Basically it's everything a town needs all wrapped up in one tin shed. 

Next door is the Lake Eyre Yacht Club. That's funny because the lake only fills up every ten years or so.

"We should drive out to the lake." Tim says it like it's just five minutes around the corner.

"You do realise it's hundreds of kilometres of outback tracks and would take all day..."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Tim teases, though he probably doesn't think it's a big deal after trekking through Nepal.

By this stage, whole minutes after they left the hotel, they reach the edge of town and the beginning of the Oodnadatta track. 

Admittedly, out here with nothing between them and the horizon, the sunset is pretty great, and Paddy decides to show Tim exactly where his adventurous spirit is. 

He hands Tim his phone, and proceeds to strip down to his undies.

In boots, briefs and hat, he grips his beer and strikes a pose. 

Tim laughs and snaps the pick, posting it straight to Paddy's Instagram account without asking. 

He snatches the phone back, and it actually isn't too bad. At least Georgie and Jake will get a kick out of it. 

\---

They get no sleep. Between boozing it up with the locals, and then the lumpy beds, morning is harsh. 

They eat a greasy breakfast and by 9:30 they actually manage to hit the road. Tim is still determined to make it to the lake. 

"It's the biggest lake in Australia," he tells Paddy from the drivers seat. Again. 

"You don't say?" Paddy groans, head pounding as they bump along the road. Drinking that much had been stupid knowing they only had a couple of days here. But when Tim laid down a challenge, he couldn't refuse. 

It's gotta be nearly two hours later when Tim leans forward, squinting at something off in the distance. 

"What the hell is that?"

Ahead are strange shapes rising out of the desert. 

"I think it's a dog..."

It is a dog. A giant, rusty dog alongside other totally random sculptures. 

"We have to stop!" Tim declares excitedly, clearly loving the randomness of it. 

"'Kay," Paddy says, stretching. It's about time for a piss break anyway. 

The place is called Alberrie Creek. Apart from the dog, a couple of planes sticking out of the ground, and a wrecked bus, there's a crumbling old homestead that's not much more than a roof and four walls.

Tim's bouncing around, making Paddy take photos of him with the sculptures, doing the silliest poses he can come up with. 

He's quoting Mad Max, and being far more energetic than anyone who had that much to drink the night before has a right to be. But Paddy smiles, has to, Tim is so damn adorable.

There are a couple of picnic tables, and Paddy thinks he could eat, because it is lunchtime.

"Wanna have lunch?"

He didn't bring anything, but he saw Tim chuck something in the backseat.

Opening the back door of the vehicle, Tim turns to him.

"Liquid lunch?" he offers, showing off an esky full of beer.

"Seriously? That's all you brought?"

Tim twists the top off one and hands it to him. 

"It's five past twelve. Get it into ya."

Sitting in the shade sipping cold beer, they watch a Wedge-tailed Eagle soar overhead, and catch a glimpse of something with a spiky tail disappear under the floorboards. 

"Was that a snake?"

"Better if we don't think about it. Let's hit the road again."

And that's when the day turns south. 

Tim turns the key, the car gives a few splutters and that's it.

"Shit," Tim swears. 

"Shit what?" Paddy presses. They are in the God-damned middle of nowhere with nothing but beer and mechanical incompetence.

"No fuel."

"Didn't you check before we left?"

"We kinda left in a rush..."

"What the hell do we do now?"

"Relax," Tim smiles over at him. "Some grey nomads are sure to pass by soon."  
"How many cars have we passed today?"  
Tim gives him a nervous look, because the answer is none.

"Well I'm not sitting here boiling my arse off," Paddy says, grabbing the esky and heading for the snake-infested shack. 

What part of coming out here half-cocked did they think was a good idea?

\---

Paddy can't really be mad, can he?

"We could have done a scenic flight instead," Tim throws at Paddy, to test his mood, and because it is a little bit funny, being stuck out here like a pair of geese.

Paddy looks up at him with incredulity. Like Tim is blaming him.

"I'm just taking the piss," Tim says, plonking himself down beside his cast mate, jabbing him with an elbow. "Could be worse, we could be in a little Cessna right now. With no beer..."

He plucks a bottle from the esky and makes a show of enjoying the first sip.  
Paddy looks across at him, giving into a smile.

"You're an idiot."

"Thank you," Tim accepts, happy to play the clown, anything to see Paddy smile. 

"Although, the hand-holding was a perk."

"Shut up," Paddy says, giving him a shove.

"I was being serious," Tim teases.

"You've never been serious in your life," Paddy argues.

"That's not true," Tim defends. "I really wanted to see Lake Eyre."

He almost manages to keep a straight face, but the annoyed look Paddy shoots him makes him crack.

"Are you really not worried about being stuck out here?" Paddy wonders.

"We're famous! Plus Dean and Colby have unresolved storylines. Someone will come looking." He throws Paddy a sideways glance. "Company could be better though..."

"Ha ha. Hey, did you try your phone?"

How stupid does Paddy really think he is?

"No Patrick, I did not think to call for help only to find there is no service here. That would make too much sense."

"A 'yes' would have done," Paddy scowls.

"And miss that adorable pout?" Tim coos, giving Paddy's face a squeeze. Paddy pushes him off.

"Do you want me to murder you?"  
Tim just laughs. He loves getting under Paddy's skin.

"What are we gonna do if no one shows up?"

"A few more of these," Tim says, waving his beer bottle. "And I'll let you know."

"Do we have any water? I don't wanna end up with kidney stones."

"You worry too much."

"You'll be worried too when it feels like you're pissing razor blades."

He stops, because that actually does sound horrendous. 

Checking the car he finds a couple of half full water bottles from yesterday rolling around under the seat. 

"There you go," he says, tossing them into Paddy's lap.

"They're hot."

"I'll make some room in the esky," Tim offers, grabbing another beer.

The sun is baking down, and even in the shade it's hot. He watches a bead of sweat trickle down Paddy's neck, and wonders how long they'll have to sit here. 

\---

Another hour goes by as they sweat and wait and talk shit, shooing away flies the whole time. Paddy wonders how long it would take them to walk back into town. They'd have to wait until the sun goes down. It's too bloody hot in the shade, let alone out there. They'd cook to death in ten minutes if they set off now.

Paddy peels his shirt off, mops up the sweat and tosses it aside onto the dusty floorboards of the old verandah.

Then he laughs. They are literally stuck out here with nothing to do but endure each other. Georgie would love it.

"What?" Tim asks, mouth quirking up in that way Paddy loves. 

"Something Georgie said..." he explains with a shake of his head.

"What'd she say?" Tim wants to know.  
"That we should get out of town and away from everything."

Looking around, all they need is a tumbleweed to roll by to complete this picture of isolation.

A blast of scalding wind whips by, and so does a tumbleweed. 

They share a look and both start laughing.

"Doesn't get much more out of town than this," Tim says. "Why'd she wanna get rid of us anyway?"

It catches Paddy off guard, and it stings a tiny bit that Tim hasn't figured it out yet. Some silly, romantic part of him thinks that if there really is something worth having here, that Tim should feel it too. He presses his lips together, not sure how to answer that.

"Now what did I say?" Tim wonders, picking up on the shift in mood. Paddy wants to be mad that he doesn't get it, but can't when Tim is so adorably clueless. 

Maybe it's something to do with how they are about their sexuality. Tim doesn't hide it as much as Paddy does, maybe that makes him hard to read in other ways too. 

"Nothing," Paddy says, because it's more true than Tim knows. 

He wants to take this leap, tell Tim how he feels, but he is so scared of messing up their friendship. 

"Hey, we're mates," Tim says. "Spit it out."

Paddy looks up, eyes connecting with Tim's. Tim's looking back at him, the connection is there, maybe he just needs to trust this bond.

"She wanted to give us a chance to find out what we are together away from work."

Tim, for once in his life, is speechless.

Among the cast and crew, the wider industry too, there's an unofficial 'don't ask, don't tell' rule. 

Paddy knew Tim was gay the first time they met. He knows Tim knows he knows, but they've never voiced it. It's just something that's there. It's not exactly hiding, it's just not advertising the fact. 

"What do you think we are...?" Tim finally says.

Paddy takes a second, thinking it over. He thinks that they ended up in the same place at the same time for a reason. He thinks he doesn't know what his life would be now without Tim in it.

"I think you're one of my best friends. I think the best part of landing this gig was getting to know you, and I think when our contracts are done I won't wanna let you go."

Tim stares at him, like he's seeing something for the first time, searching his face for a sign about what comes next. Paddy's heart is racing and he feels the unsteadiness too. It's a line that can't be uncrossed, but then he realises that he would never want to.

"Say it," Tim whispers, uncharacteristically restrained. "Say it so I can't misunderstand."

"I want you. I think we could be really good together if you feel the same."

Suddenly Tim gets up, takes a couple of quick steps away. Paddy gets up too, terrified that his worst nightmare is coming true. That he's broken something between them.

"It's okay if you don't," he tells Tim's back, even though it would break his heart. "We can go on like before if you want..." That would be better than nothing.

Tim turns to face him, a look on his face that Paddy's never seen before, and Paddy realises that's because he's never really seen Tim without a mask of some sought. This is raw, this is real, and Tim is undone because of him. 

"I never thought you'd feel the same," Tim admits, words coming in a rush now. "I showed up on set and there you were. You were so serious and so _straight_ , and I knew I couldn't let myself hope. Then they said you were Dean, and that made it easier in a way, I knew that meant we'd have to work together so keeping it professional would be best for everyone..."

Paddy's standing there, unsure, listening to this confession, and then it clicks that this is _Tim_. Just Tim, the same bloke he's been goofing around with for the last year and a half.

"...I talked myself out of it..."

"Of course you did," Paddy laughs. "You don't know how to shut up."

Tim stops, and then he smiles too, and the joke is there, it's just a matter of who'll get the words out first, but in the end neither of them say it.

Instead, they both act on it, meeting in the middle. Paddy's gaze drops from Tim's eyes to his mouth, and when he looks back up Tim is looking at his mouth too.

This is it, the moment he's been waiting for and all he has to do now is reach out and take it. It has the potential to be perfect, until a fly lands on his lip. He goes to shoo it away, lest it ruin the moment, just as Tim leans in, and ends up accidentally smacking him the face.

"Oh my God," he says, touching Tim's cheek to check he's okay. "I'm so sorry." 

But there's laughter in Tim's eyes and Paddy can't help laughing himself because this whole scenario is so ridiculous. 

"Maybe I will die out here after all," Tim jokes. "Better make the most of the time I have left."

He moves fast this time, catches Paddy's mouth in a kiss that's hot and salty. They are both sticky with sweat from the heat of the day, and there are still pesky little flies trying to get in on the action too, but it is perfect because it's him and Tim and they are together.

It's the sound of wheels in the gravel that breaks them apart. A 4x4 with caravan in tow has just pulled up. 

They are saved, at the worst possible moment...

Tim looks down at him, one of those gorgeous smiles on his face. 

"To be continued?"

"You bet," Paddy says, before retrieving his shirt and going to greet their rescuers.

"Oh look dear," the grey-haired lady says. "It's Dean and Colby."

"Well how 'bout that," her husband replies. "You boys are a bit far from the beach, aren't you?"

\---

On the drive back to town, Tim can't stop grinning like a loon. He can't help it. Yeah, he needs a shower, and he didn't get to see the lake, and yet this might be the best day ever. 

There's enough fuel in the tank now to get them back to town, and Paddy is sitting beside him in the passengers seat.  
For the first time in his life he feels like he might really be onto something here. He's never felt quite this way about anyone before. People say relationships are hard, that they take compromise and work. But with Paddy it's easy, and he thinks that's because they fit, because they want what's best for each other. They've been friends first, and now it seems they can have it all.

Tim reaches over, rests his hand on Paddy's knee just because he can, glancing over for another look at that beautiful face. And Paddy's looking back at him, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

"You really think we can do this?" Paddy wonders. Tim knows what he means, back in the real world there will be added pressure and questions to answer, but the reward is worth more than the risk. Jobs come and go, but this... Well this could be forever.

"I hope so. And I know we can't not try."

The answer satisfies Paddy and they ride the rest of the way back in silence. 

Tim used to feel the need to fill the space between them with words, anything to keep Paddy interested, but the space between them is gone for now, filled with something warm and strong. Something that feels as comforting as a snuggie and as unbreakable as a vibranium shield all at once. Something to build a future on.

\---

They shout Marge and Ron a beer that night at the pub.

They share funny stories from set, and when talking about life on the road together, Marge and Ron tell them that the key to a successful, enduring relationship is laughter.

Paddy looks over at Tim with a smile, thinking they've already got that part down pat.

When they call it a night, Marge rests a hand on his arm and leans in confidentially.

"I think it's nice," she tells him with a twinkle in her eye. And in that moment, he's surprisingly grateful because that's when it finally sinks in that maybe they have a real shot at this. That maybe he's been worrying about nothing all along.

\---

Laying on one of the old twin beds, stretched out on top of Tim, fully clothed, Paddy smiles. They have nowhere to be and nothing to do but enjoy this.

"Marge was right."

Tim gives him a funny look. 

"This is the subject you choose to raise right now?"

"She was alright," Paddy jokes. "Pretty fit for a grandma."

"I can step aside," Tim plays back.  
Paddy pretends to think about it.

"Nah, reckon I'll give you a run first. More convenient because we work together and all."

"Gee, thanks," Tim laughs.

Paddy smiles too, then turns his head and lays his cheek on Tim's chest to get more comfortable.

"What was she right about?" Tim says, fingers combing slowly through Paddy's hair. It feels so good. All of it.

"That this is nice," he murmurs into Tim's teeshirt. "Being like this with you."

Tim's fingers only pause for a second.

"How'd she know?"

"Jake said anyone with eyes would be able to see how I feel about you."

"Wait... Does the whole cast know?"

"Yeah, think so."

"Guess that makes it easier then."

"Guess so..."

He lifts his head to look up at Tim's face again.

"Even if it isn't..." he begins, thinking how he wants to say that having this outweighs any shit they might cop, he decides to show Tim instead.

He pushes himself up, one knee between Tim's legs, fully intending to snog him senseless when all of a sudden there's a loud crack and the foot of the bed gives way. Paddy yelps and grabs Tim and when the movement stops, they're left on an angle, clinging to a three-legged bed. They share a look, a mixture of shock and relief, and both burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," Tim manages to wheeze out. "This is honestly the best trip ever." 

And somehow, despite all the mishaps and precarious positions they've found themselves in, with Tim's arm firmly around him, Paddy can't argue with that.

\---

The plane ride back isn't so bad. Maybe that's because on the way up he was nervous about other things too. 

Tim is right there beside him, and when he holds out his hand for Paddy to take, Paddy accepts even though he isn't scared anymore. 

\---

Tuesday is a location day, and it's one of those scenes where everyone is kinda hanging around the pier. 

"So..." Georgie says, sidling up to him between set-ups. "How was the weekend?"

Paddy does his best to keep his Dean face on.

"You mean the part where we got stranded in the desert with nothing but beer...?"

"I want to hear that story, but that's not what I'm talking about. Paddy, c'mon..."

"Oh, you mean the part where we literally broke the bed..."

Her eyes light up, her hand comes up and covers her mouth.

"No... Really?" she says excitedly.

"Twin beds... Great call by the way."

"Well I had to leave you with options. So are you guys an item now?"

Him and Tim, an item. The fact that it's even a possibility makes him smile uncontrollably. 

"We're gonna give it a shot."

"That's great," she grins. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Me too," he says, completely losing the battle to stay in character. "I guess I should thank you. I needed this push."

"You're welcome," she smiles. And this time he does hug her, she's given him the thing he wanted most in the world. 

"You're amazing, Georgie."

"I know," she preens, making a joke of it, but deep down they both know how important this is.

"What's going on here?" Tim interrupts, pretending he's caught them doing something they shouldn't be.

Georgie turns a big smile on him.

"Just girl talk..."

"Hey!" Paddy protests, and both of them just laugh at him. How did he become the chick in this relationship? 

"Looks like we're all winners then," she smiles. Paddy gets how him and Tim are, but... 

"What do you get out of it?"

"Apart from seeing you two lumps of adorableness happy?"

He shares a quick look with Tim. _Lumps of adorableness..._ Tim just smirks.

"Yeah..."

The director calls them in before she can answer, but the mystery is solved as they reset for the scene, and he sees Jake slip Georgie a twenty. He could be offended about her placing bets on his love life, but looking over at Tim, knowing they have this amazing thing between them now, all he feels is happy. And anyway, she had faith in them, and that means a lot.


End file.
